System for the successive amplification of energies.



A. McL. NICOLSON.

SYSTEM FOR THE SUCCESSIVE AMPLIFICATION 0F ENERGIES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8.1915- Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

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* wesrn en intestate co t sweetie ea 'sucoussrvnuiretrrrcurrou or nituuem sp To all. whom it may conccett 'Niconsou, a suhje t' f th t 'f-Be it known thatll, hnhmnnnle sh llow I. Britain,"-residing at New York, in the'con'nty fo'f New York and State of New York, have invented certain. newand usefulll'mprovements in Systems for .theSuccessive Ampli:

' ode by an external sourceot-electromotive ftthir or inputelectrode, Thisflidea is made var V 2 alt-t espace-e quire a charge 'fi-cation o't Energies,ot which thetollowing is a full, c1ear,jconcise, and exact description.

This invention relates to systems for the -successive amplification of energies, and more particularly to an lmproved organiza- .tion jot electrodes employing the thermionic' '=princ'i'ple,' whereby -,telephonic or other' cun' -rents to be repeated or detected are put through successivestages of amplification without the employment ot intermediate electromagnetic transterrners. Its ob 'ect is 1 osimplify and to increase thefleficiency 0t 1 1 i The type of thermionic repeater Oftdfi- .tector best known in-the art isthat'inwhich "afheated cathode is inclosed in a highly. evacuated vessel with an anode which, is-

such an energy amplification. Y

maintained positive with'rjes'pect to the oath}- torce. The flow of current "between the anode and cathode, which results by virtue" of thissource, and the thermionic emissions of the cathode, may be-varied by altering the otential between the. cathode and a use of in the telephone .art' and allied arts tween the anode and cathode;

. Tn devices or this sort itjhas beer? t that a fourth electrode elemeht or space element, as it will hereinatter heterme'd,it located hetween the'cathode'and anode in the path of thei the ahionicf current, will ac. fi omsuch current, and that 'honditions this charge will undericert as a ttuectteafitou ct tettei-e Patent.

hppheetioumed time a, me. tenet i o eaeei. v 4

:m of Great operation of such a device;

ien at the instantaneous value at llt' such a space element isin the term, of a large and'iohstructing plate. directly between thecathode and anode,

s 1 1H assiuit rircoaroner,.a eeur o'rroir or Wa a e it.

it will e'fiectively cut oh the flew ext-ther neioniccurrent to theanode; provided the enclosing vessel 15- suficiently-evacuated to prevent, the formation otblue haze. 4

" M has" furthermore beenllfound that such an obstructing space element will functioncurrent provided that means are assoclated with it for .dischargingit.

as a carrier'o This invention employs the principle just outlmed m a system in which small energies repeater and are thereby ampediin ac.- cordance with the welldmown principle of jhimultaneohsly with this amplification 'a fourth t irl-space tobe" amplified areimpressedbetween the 1 input andcathode elements 'ot -a thermionic element located in the path of the thermionic.

eurrentfdelivers to the ihput element .ota Th second amplifying arrangement a veg charge having a frequency characteristic'co responding to that of the ..original input wave. This. varying charge-V serves to vary. I

the space current 'flowing inthi's second lam plifier arrangement. Similerlme space elementloeated in the, pathot the second thermlonlc stream acts to control the current process -may be continued through. other stages otarnplification by other' -itherhaionie amplifiers the final amplifier odthelset' 'be-f mg connected to' the output circuit the customary manner.

s The nvention will be more clearly stood by reference to the: accempan drawing" which shows an arrangement tot producing-the ettect above described. lln

the teurth'or space elements M and ll." The space elements 10 and lliare preferably in;

a term of a gridor mesh, and are located 1 .tbetweeu the cathodes 4.? and 5 and anodesta and 9' as shown. j hjor'j best edect the space. elemeutslltl an'di'll thould present adegree ot-ithstruction tothel-thermionie streanapid'ef' pending upon their location in the series. In other words, the space element 10 should present the maximum obstruction, the space element 11 should present a smaller degree of obstruction, and any subsequent amplifiers of the type of 2 and 3 should have space elements of consecutively decreasing obstruction.

As indicated in the drawing,'the space element 10 is connected to the input electrode 7 by means of a wire 12. Similarly the space element 11 is connected to the input.

electrode 13 of the next amplifier 14 in the series through a wire 15. The cathodes 4, 5 and 16' are heated in series by battery 17, while the anodes 8, 9 and 18 are maintained positive with respect to their respective cathodes by means of battery 19. Inductances 20 and 21 are introduced respectively between wires 12 and 15 and groundto pre vent the accumulation 'of a charge on the electrodes 10, 7, 11 and 13. Also batteries 22 and 23 may be employed to give the electrodes 10, 7, 11 and 13 a definite potential if desired. The final amplifier of the series need not have a space electrode but may be of the customary 3-electrode type.

In operation the telephone or other curcents to be amplified are impressed by means of transformer 25 between the input electrode 6 and the cathodes 4, 5 and 16. The variation in the potential between input electrode 6 and cathode 4, which results from the variation in the telephonic current,

' -1 causes the customary variation in the space current flowing between cathode 4 and anode 8 and, in accordance with the principle above discussed, causes a varying charge to be delivered to the spa'ce element 10. This varying charge is delivered over the wire 12 to the input electrode 7 of the amplifier 3, and serves therein to vary the space current lowing from cathode 5 to the anode 9. By virtue of this variation in space current a similar variable charge is induced on the space element 11 and delivered over wire 15 to the input electrode 13 of the amplifier 14, and serves to produce therein a greatly amplified variation in the space current flowing between the cathode 16 and the anode 18, in circuit with which is the winding 26 of the output transformer 27.

The amplifiers 2, 3 and 14 may, as indicated in. the drawing, be inclosed in separate evacuated vessels,-or they may conveniently be inclosed in a single vessel without in any way interfering with the operation of the device.

What is claimed is:

1. A thermionic translating device comprising an evacuated vessel containing an input electrode, a cathode,an anode and a fourth electrode between said cathode and anode, means for establishing a space current between said cathode and anode, and means for maintaining said fourth electrode at a negative potential with respect to said cathode.

2. An electrical system comprising an evacuated vessel containing an input elec trode, a cathode, an anode and a fourth electrode between said cathode and anode, means for establishing a space current between said cathode and anode, and means responsive to the potential of said fourth electrode.

3. In a system for the successive amplification of energies, a succession of thermionic repeaters each having an input electrode, an anode, a cathode for producing a thermionic discharge to said anode, and a fourth electrode in the path of said discharge and partially shielding said anode therefrom, the said fourth electrodes of said ,succession of repeaters presenting successively decreasing shielding effects to their respective anodes.

4. In a system for the successive amplification of energies, a succession of thermionic repeaters each having an anode, a cathode, an input electrode and a fourth electrode, said fourth electrode of one repeater being connected to the input electrode of the next succeeding repeater.

5. An electrical system comprising an evacuated vessel containing an input elec trode, a cathode, an anode and a fourth electrode between said cathode and anode, means for establishing a space current between said cathode and anode, an outgoing line, and means for impressing the variations in potential of said fourth electrode upon said line.

6. An electrical system comprising an evacuated vessel containing an input electrode, acathode, an anode and a fourth electrode between said cathode and anode, means for establishing a space current between said cathode and anode, a second evacuated vessel, comprising an electrode, and means for impressing the potential of said fourth electrode upon the electrode of said vessel.

7 An electrical system comprising an evacuated vessel, containing an input electrode, a cathode, an anode and a fourth electrode, a second evacuated vessel containing an input electrode and means for impressing the potential of said fourth electrode upon the input electrode of jsaid second vessel.

8. n electrical system comprising an evacuated vessel containing an input electrode, a cathode, an anode and a fourth electrode, a second evacuated vessel containin an input electrode, said fourth electrode an the input electrode of said second vessel being electrically connected with each other.

9. A thermionic translating device comprising an evacuated vessel containing an input electrode, a cathode, an anode and at mo em fourth electrode, means for establishing current between said cathode and anode and means for .preventing an accumulation of electrical charges upon said fourth electrode.

10. A thermionic translating device comprising an evacuated vessel containing an input electrode, a cathode, an anode and a fourth electrode, said fourth electrode being grounded, whereby an accumulation of electrical charges upon said fourth electrode is prevented.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 4th day of June A. D., 1915.

ALEXANDER MCLEAN NICOLSQN. 

